Earth mover



June 22, 1937. J. F. KNAPP 2,084690 EARTH MOVER Original Filed March 27,1934 INVENTORA Job/7 E Knap/D W AL' ATTORNEY.

Patented June 22, 1937 `PA'r-EN'r OFFICE mam Movna mm F. xapn, oni-na,czu.. mimo: to American Tractor Equipment Corporation, a corporation ofCalifornia Original application March 27, 1934, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 11, 1935, Serial No. 49,255

Claims.

This is a. division of application Serial Number 717,592 filed March 27,1934.

My invention relates to machinery useful in conjunction with earthmoving, excavatlng, 5 grading and the like, and is especially concernedwith an apparatus adapted to be propelled by a vehicle such as atractor, and to be controlled by the operator of the tractor.

An object of my invention is to provide an earth mover of large capacityand correspondingly of considerable ruggedness.

Another object of my invention is to provide an earth mover carried by atractor in such a manner that the load placed on the tractor is carriedentirely by the truck frames rather than through the equalizer bar orspring.

An additional object of my invention is to provide an earth movercarried by a tractor almost directly beneath the forward end thereof toshorten the moment arm of the mover on the tractor.

A further object of my invention-is to provide an earth mover which canbe readily adjusted in various positions.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of theinvention shown in the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa tractor carrying one form of earth mover of my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the forward end of the tractor and earthmover.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the connection to the tractorsub-frames.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a connection for supporting the moldboard.

In the form shown in the drawing there is disclosed a mechanism adaptedto be actuated by a hydraulic displacement mechanism, includingcylinders 6 and piston rods 1, deriving its power from a pump unitmounted on tractor 8. 'I'he tractor includes opposite tracks 9 carriedby truck frames ll which also carry a. main frame, generally indicatedby |2, pivoted at the rear of the truck frames and supported at theforward end of said frames by an equalizer bar, usually a heavy spring(not shown).

Each cylinder 5, there being one on each side of the tractor, isconnected by a link I 3 to a pin |4 which also carries a link |6. Link|3 and curved link |1 are welded together. The link IS is connected to abracket |8 mounted on the truck frame while the curved link l1 has ashaft IS passing through its curved end. This shaft IS is supported inbrackets 2| on, the main frame and keyed to the shaft are arms 22towhich the piston rods 1 are connected by bifurcated clevises 23.

Links 24, adjustable in length, extend forwardly from arms 22 to one armof bellcranks 26 and serve to rock bell cranks 26 about pins 21 whichsupport them on plate brackets 28 on the truck frames. Clevises 29 aresecured to the other arm of the bellcranks. Rods 3| slide through theclevises and are secured by pins 32 between extensions 33 on angle framemembers 34. Each rod 3| is surrounded by a spring 36 compressed thereonbetween the clevis 29 and the other end of the rod. Each rod has aninternally threaded sleeve 31 thereon sliding in the clevis, the end ofthe sleeve having a head 38 thereon sliding in the clevis and acting asa guide between the rod and the clevis. Any upward push on the rodscompresses the Springs additionally while the head 38 on the sleevespermit the rods to be lifted positively. In this manner, a fiexibleconnection is provided protecting the lifting and lowering mechanism aswill appear further.

A tube 4| is provided on each side of the tralctor alongside the truckframes. One end of each tube is received by and is welded to a collar onangle frame members 34 while the other end carries a fork casting 42having an upper and lower slot formed therein. A member 43 is receivablein each casting 42 and is held in place by pin 44. This member closesthe slots in the casting 42 and confines a stub shaft 46 in either slot.The stub shaft carries a suitable bearing box 45 which can be insertedin either slot in the forked casting 42.- Bracket IB is mounted on thetruck frame as close to the pivot point of the truck on the main frameas the tractor construction permits. (A bracket and stub shaftconstruction is shown as 96 and 91 in Figure 9 of Bufiington Patent1.859,496 of May 24, 1932). The stub shaft 46 is welded to the bracket18 and with bearing box 45 provides an extension on said bracket. Theterm "extension" as used in the claims, refers particularly to the stubshaft 41 extending from the bracket |8, each bracket |8 being secured toa truck frame.

Referring particularly to Figure 3 it is to. be noted that the upperslot is above and therefore offset with respect to the adjacent tube orparallel member 4|. Similarly the lower slot is offset so that theparallel members 4| can be raised or lowered with respect to the pointof their hinge mounting on the tractor.

The angle frame connectors, or members 34, are joined together by ashort tube 41 welded to them. The tubes 4|, the members 34, and theshort tube provide a very strong and rigid U- frame which can bemanipulated by rocking of bell cranks 20. This frame lies praeticallybeneath the tractor radiator so that any load placed 5 thereon iscarried close in to the tractor; the turning moment of the load istherefore minimized.

"I'his strong and rigid frame is utilized as a support for a mold board5|. This board, as is '10 disclosed in the Patent 1.928,778 to Austin,is

composed of a plurality of` component parts, primarily a back plate 52,so formed that it is a channel in cross section and carries a frontplate 53 of arcuate cross section.. In addition, a replaceable cuttingblade 54 is suitably secured to the forward lower edge of the plate 53.

Secured to the back plate 52 are two brackets 56 and two other brackets'6|. Brackets 55 receive pins 58 which also pass through frame:connection members 34, when the mold board is transverse 'of thetractor. When the mold board is in either of the angular positions ofFigure 2, a connector 59 is inserted between the member 34 and thespaced bracket on the mold board.

Additional support for the mold board is provided at each end thereof bybrackets 5| and members B2 in the form of tubes which are slidable intubes 4|. Each tube carries an end casting 51 at the end thereof havingan off-set aperture (see Figure 4) therein which is engaged by a pin 63passed through one of the two holes in brackets 6|. When the mold boardis in the full line position of Figure 2, both end castings are turnedin, the left one to engage the pin passed through the inner hole in theassociated bracket, and the right one to engage a pin in the outer hole.When the mold board is straight across, the end castings are both turnedout to receive pins passed through the inner holes. The path of centerof each inner hole is beyond the line of center of the rod by the amountof offset of the aperture in each end casting. Pins 54 are passedthrough each collar, tube 4| and apertured tube 62 to secure the tube52.

The frame fork castings 42 can be raised or lowered so that bearingboxes 45 for stub shafts 46 can be located either in the upper or thelower slots to vary the angle of the mold board or in an upper slot onone side and a lower slot on the other to give an angle to the moldboard. To do this it is merely necessary to lower the :mold board ontothe ground, pull pins 44, back the tractor away to remove the stubshafts from the slots, raise or lower the frame as desired, and thenmove the tractor forward and carry the stub shafts into the desiredslots in the fork castings 42, or the device may be entirelydisconnected from'the' tractor by removing pins 32 and 44 and backingthe tractor, as mentioned.

It is to be noted that in the main the earth mover is carried on thetruck frames and that Whatever load of the earth mover is placed on thelmain frame is at a point to the mar of the equalizer bar.

Instead of utilizing hydraulic mechanism and a pump, electric power canbe used as is disclosed in the aforementioned Austin patent.

It is to be noted that tubes 4|, 62, and 41 and 70 connections 34 form aU-frame rather than a v cr an A frame. .This form of the frame enablesthe tool as the mold board or other earth moving or displacing means,to'be carried very close in to the dirigible vehicle as well as topermit the tool to be secured to the frame rigidly even though theposition of the tool on the frame can be adjusted. In practice, thisconstruction has proven of utility and advantage.

'I claim as my invention:

1. An earth mover for a tractor having truck frames, comprising anextension on each truck frame, members extending parallel to andalongside of each truck frame, and an end member on each parallelmember, means on each end member providing a plurality of receptaclesfor said extenslon.

2. In an earth moving device including a tractor support means, a shafton each tractor support means, bearing means on each shaft. a frameextending forwardly of said tractor and having opposite legs, and amember on an end of each leg providing a plurality of receptacles forsaid bearing means.

3. An earth mover for mounting on a tractor having truck frames. saidmover comprising a member mounted on each truck frame, a shaft on eachmember, a box-like bearing on each shaft, a blade support including amember extending parallel to each truck frame, and a receptacle memberon an end of each of said parallel members to receive an associatedbox-like bearing in any one of a plurality of different elevatedpositionsof said parallel member.

4. An 'earth mover for attachment to a tractor having a pair of parallelbut spaced truck frames, said mover oomprising a pair of brackets, meanssecuring each of said brackets to a truck frame near the rear endthereof, a stub shaft secured to and projecting from each of saidbrackets, a bearing secured to and carried by each shaft, meansretaining said bearing in place on said shaft, frame members extendingparallel to and alongside of each truck frame, a receptacle membermounted on an end of each of said frame members and having a pluralityof slots therein for receiving an associated bearing, each 'of saidreceptacle members being mounted on its frame member with said slots offcenter with respect to said frame member, and means for retaining saidbearing in said receptacle member'with said bearing in any one of saidslots.

5. An earth mover for attachment to a tractor having truck frames, saidmover comprising a pair of brackets, means securing each of saidbrackets to a truck frame near the rear end thereof, a stub shaftsecured to and projecting from each of said brackets, frame membersextending parallel to and alongside of each truck frame, a receptaclemember mounted on an end of each of said frame members and having aplurality of slots therein providing receptacles for its associatedshaft, said receptacle member being mounted with said slots off centerwith respect to its associated frame member to provide for rotativereception in said receptacle member of an associated shaft in aplurality of positions of said shaft with respect to said member, andmeans for retaining said shaft in said receptacle member.

JOHN F. KNAPP.

